The ACE benchmarking project analyses the cost-effectiveness and productivity of 38 European Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) in Europe. It examines both individual ANSPs and the Pan-European ATM/CNS system as a whole.
In addition to the publication of interim and final annual reports, an interactive dashboard containing the whole ACE data (2002-2022) has been developed. It enables the aviation community to build customised views on ANSPs economic performance.
Latest ACE benchmarking report (May 2024 edition)
This report is based on the 2022 data submitted by ANSPs in July 2023, and thoroughly reviewed by the PRU. It analyses ANSPs’ performance in a context marked by the traffic recovery following the shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
€470
(-34.7% vs 2021)
ATM/CNS provision costs per composite flight-hour
€320
(-35.2% vs 2021)
Support costs per composite flight-hour
€133
(-2.4% vs 2021)
ATCO employment costs per ATCO-hour
0.89
(+47% vs 2021)
ATCO-hour productivity
Traffic (measured in composite flight-hours) rose by +58.3% in 2022 but remained -13.3% lower than in 2019. At ANSP level, a wide range of recovery rates is observed (from -51% to +14%). The war in Ukraine resulted in airspace closures and bans on air carriers which impacted traffic flows in Europe.
ATFM delays in 2022 almost reached their 2019 level, which was a year marked by significant capacity issues for several ANSPs. As a result, the share of ATFM delays in the 2022 unit economic costs amounted to 20%.
After two years of consecutive decreases, total ATM/CNS provision costs rose by +3.4% (+€295.8M) in 2022, reflecting cost increases for 26 out of 38 ANSPs.
In 2022, the number of ATM/CNS staff was slightly lower than in 2021 (-0.9% or -470 FTEs), mainly because of support staff reductions. The number of ATCOs in OPS increased by +2.1% (+348 FTEs).
Although the level of debt fell by -10% in 2022, short and long-term borrowings still represent nearly 3 times the amount recorded in 2019.
A new analysis on the regulatory, institutional, and corporate governance aspects shows interesting findings when considering different regulation regimes and legal statuses. Although interactions are complex and no straightforward relationships emerged at individual ANSP level, these factors can create incentives or constraints, which may affect ANSP performance.
Latest ACE Report (May 2024 edition)
Executive summary
- Introduction
Main Chapters:
- Overview of the Pan-European ANS system
- Cost-effectiveness analysis
- Forward-looking cost-effectiveness (2023-2027)
- Financial indicators calculated from ANSPs financial statements
- Regulatory, institutional and corporate governance arrangements
Annexes
- ANNEX 1 – Status of ANSPs 2022 Annual Reports
- ANNEX 2 – Performance indicators used for the comparison of ANSPs
- ANNEX 3 – Performance ratios
- ANNEX 4 – Exchange rates, inflation rates and purchasing power parities (PPPS) data
- ANNEX 5 – Key data
- ANNEX 6 – Performance indicators at FAB level
- Glossary
ACE Handbook
Learn about the scope of the ACE analysis, the processes involved in the production of the report, the factors affecting performance and the indicators used in the ACE analysis.
ANSPs factsheets and individual summary reports
Access information on individual ANSPs institution arrangements, legal status, corporate governance structure, scope of services, etc.
Access information on individual ANSPs cost-effectiveness performance (2017-2022), comparison with peers and historical information on capital investments projects.
For feedback or questions please contact the PRU Support Team.